Youth In Leadership and Ministry

by Jim on September 27, 2012

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Ministry Encouragement Podcast by Rev. Jim W. Hollis

Episode #013 – 9-27-12

Hello and welcome to the THIRTEENTH EPISODE of the Ministry Encouragement Podcast, an experience that will touch you at the point of one or more of your greatest needs, lift your life spiritually AND provide you with new Christ-empowered motivation to move fully into the JOY of discipleship and the ADVENTURE of ministry.  I am SO appreciative of you allowing me to share in your life today through this Podcast!

I am Rev. Jim Hollis, the Founder and Executive Director of Proactive Ministries.  God has blessed our ministry Staff of 21 experienced clergy and laity, who has provided ministry coaching and training with leaders in more than 900 congregations across North America since 1993.  Proactive Ministries is the sponsor of this Podcast and can be found at: www.proactive-ministries.org  OR on our Facebook Page, “Proactive Ministries,” which we encourage you to locate and LIKE.

Welcome to Episode #13, which will be the last one of our podcasts focused on Youth Ministry.  As I mentioned a few weeks back, I am working to cover a different MINISTRY FOCUS for each month of the year.  In August of 2012, I was working on an overall theme of Christian Leaders and Leadership.  This month I have been providing ministry encouragement related to Youth and Children’s Ministry in local churches or Christian community.  And in September I will be moving to concentrate on sharing about outreach and relational sharing of our Christian faith.  So you can check earlier Episodes with this in mind.

Perhaps someone in your congregation or fellowship is considering becoming a Leader or you have current Leaders in place.  You may want to encourage them to listen to some of the earlier Podcasts, which are focused on Leadership.  This can be a wonderful encouragement for them as Leaders.  The same could apply to anyone you know who is working in ministry with Youth and Children.  Check the notes in this Blog to see the topics for each respective Episode.

Today I will be talking about:

Five Major Keys for Having Youth in Leadership With Youth and Others:

Key #1: Adults who are involved in Youth Ministry need to be committed and passionate in growing Youth Leaders, who actually lead.

Key #2: In a healthy Youth Ministry, youth feel a clear sense of ownership, influence and shared responsibility.

Key #3: Healthy churches encourage Youth to lead in a variety of ministry settings and opportunities across the entire calendar year.

Key #4: Youth Councils are leadership teams that are primarily comprised of youth with adult advisors. 

Key #5: Effective youth who lead youth are engaged in thoughtful, long-range ministry planning and stay ahead of “the urgent” by addressing “the important” as they lead. 

After I cover thoughts on these Five Keys to Youth in Leadership with Youth, I will then be having us take a look at an encouragement Scripture today:

Jeremiah 1:4-10

4 Now the word of the   Lord   came to me, saying,

5  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  and before you were born   I consecrated you;   I appointed you a prophet   to the nations.”

6 Then I said,   “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”

7 But the   Lord   said to me,”Do not say,   ‘I am only a youth’ ;   for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,   and   whatever I command you, you shall speak.   8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,  declares the   Lord  .”

9 Then the   Lord   put out his hand and   touched my mouth. And the   Lord   said to me,

“Behold, I have put   my words in your mouth.   10 See, I have set you this day   over nations and over kingdoms,   to pluck up and to break down,   to destroy and to overthrow,   to build and to plant.”

I would like to continue to encourage each of you to email me in regard to what are best practices you have experienced in the area of youth ministry and working with youth in a Christian community context.  My email is: jim@ministryencouragementpodcast.com

If you have questions, thoughts or would like to discuss ministry possibilities for your church or Christian community, please contact me at the above email or by calling our Atlanta, GA, area offices: (770) 803-9988.  Our website for Proactive Ministries is: www.proactive-ministries.org

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Click Here October 13, 2012 at 12:44 pm

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Samir October 25, 2012 at 4:00 pm

It is so many different tihngs…I feel that it all starts from the examples that are set…it starts from home. Is faith a part of the family dynamics? Are youth dropped off for Sunday school and youth events and being told (often by actions and not by words) that they must attend or are families attending church together? Is faith being displayed at home by parents and family members (praying, reading scripture, and living Christian lives away from church)?If attending church is a ‘have’ to versus a ‘want’ to, then confirmation may equate to FREEDOM from having to wake up early every week and sitting through church and doing churchy stuff once or twice a week.If families are not involved and active in their own faith (even if it simply means attending worship weekly with their children and showing an interest in what it is that their children are learning or activities that they are participating in), I think it is a HUGE challenge to encourage youth to continue to attend church and to grow in their faith journeys on their own.There is so much crammed into life – jobs, extracurricular events, friends, families, school, concerts, events, etc. – church is often a second thought – something that will happen if time can be made.I think the key is educating parents on how much of an important role they play in their children’s faith and futures. Churches can arrange all sorts of events and clubs and fun tihngs to do – but without the support of families – the youth will not come – Then again, these are just my thoughts…

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